Rindge to pay ex-administrator $35,000 severance pay; no word on reason for exit

According to a severance and general release agreement signed Oct. 18, Carlotta Pini resigned from her post as Rindge’s town administrator in order to not be fired by the town’s Select Board.

Select Board members Daniel Aho and Roberta Oeser signed the agreement. Oeser said in a phone interview Wednesday that Selectman Samuel Seppala was out of town when the document was signed, though he was part of the decision.

As part of the agreement, a 21-day consideration period had to be observed before the severance could become effective or enforceable.

The four-page long agreement, which was released Tuesday after a request was filed with the town office under the N.H. Right-to-Know Law, notes that if the town is questioned by its unemployment insurer or N.H. Employment Security, it must respond with the following phrase: “Ms. Pini’s separation was attributable to the Town Select Board, her employer. The employee faced discharge if she didn’t resign. We consider it a forced resignation, and we will not dispute her eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits.”

Oeser could not comment Wednesday about the situation leading to Pini’s resignation. “It’s pretty much self-contained,” she said.

Pini could not be reached by press time Wednesday. The agreement did say that Pini could speak frankly about her separation with prospective employers.

Pini, who was the town administrator for nearly seven years, will receive a lump sum of $35,500 severance pay, according to the agreement. Pini will also be covered under town medical, dental, disability and life insurance for six months after her termination date. In addition, the agreement says that Pini will be available to town employees with “needed information” until April 18, 2014.

As to the hiring process for a new town administrator, Oeser said the Select Board would be discussing the topic that night at the Select Board meeting Wednesday night, which took place after press deadline. “I’m hoping that tonight will answer a lot of questions,” she said.

Elodie can be reached by phone at 924-7172 ext. 228, or by email at ereed@ledgertranscript.com. Elodie is also on Twitter @elodie_reed.

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